Thanks to Graeme for this latest report from Ventnor Cricket Club. Ed
Their hard earned three wicket win over Bashley in a low scoring contest at Newclose on Saturday maintained third place in the table ahead of a visit to bottom of the table Totton & Eling and a home clash with Burridge.
The visitors decided to bat first on winning the toss but were rocked on their heels by Ventnor’s new ball attack of Adam Wilson and Mark Holmes. The pacy Wilson accounted for Michael Porter before skipper Holmes inflicted further damage with a three wicket blast. The seamer, making life difficult with the movement he extracted off the pitch, accounted for the Morris brothers and then produced a jaffa of a delivery to clean bowl Australia Under 19 batsman Jared Morgan in a match defining spell to leave the New Forest side struggling on 23-4.
Nick Baker with 44 threatened a recovery but when the left hander holed out to leg spinner Ian Hilsum (2-25) for 44, hopes of a substantial total evaporated. The home team bowled a disciplined line and length throughout and backed up by sharp fielding, chipped away at the Bashley lower order. Wilson finished with 3-18 while Ollie Mills and Marc Antony Eysele also got amongst the wickets to help dismiss the mainlanders to 150.
Ventnor made steady progress in pursuit of a modest target and at 100-3 (Eysele 25, Mills 19) were well set with Tom Friend leading the way. However, when the former Unicorns all-rounder followed Hilsum back to the pavilion for 39 there was still work to be done. The experienced Neil Westhorpe eased the hosts closer and it was his invaluable knock of 24 which left James Cheek and Hugh Calloway with just a handful of runs to score to clinch a deserved victory by three wickets.
Second team promotion hopes suffer setback
Ventnor’s fine run of seven consecutive wins came to an abrupt halt on Saturday when St Cross beat them by three wickets in their Hampshire League Division 1 clash in Winchester.
The defeat saw Ben Woodhouse’s side slip from first to third and with just two games remaining, it will be important for the Islanders bounce back in this weekend’s clash with Hook & Newnham Basics at Steephill.
Asked to bat first, the visitors set off like a train and at 76-1 from only nine overs a challenging total looked likely. However, the dismissal of the consistent Rob Snell for 35 proved key and with the middle order failing, the Islanders were in deep trouble on 114-8. Jack Bartlett’s fine knock of 52 with five fours and two sixes lifted spirits and with young Harry Ridley surviving 52 deliveries in admirable fashion at the other end, an eventual score of 173 at least gave Ventnor something to defend.
Toby Corbin made an early breakthrough as St Cross responded and when Rob Snell claimed two more scalps and Bartlett chipped in with another, the home side were struggling on 44-4.
It was the experienced Graham Barrett who turned the match in his side’s favour, his innings of 44 taking the score to 130-5 and paving the way for lower order contributions to take the match beyond Ventnor and clinch a win for the hosts with two overs remaining.
Ventnor hope to have the likes of Ben Herridge, Charlie Calloway, Martin Blackman and Jadon Buckeridge available for Saturday’s crucial home game though David Beven is still absent.
Ventnor run Shanklin so close
Ventnor brought the curtain down on their Island League and Cup campaign with an excellent performance which so nearly brought a victory over Shanklin at Steephill on Saturday.
Shanklin batted first in the Island Webservices Cup game and it was Mark Ringer who led the way with a fine 97 in their score of 259-6, supported by Carl Prean with 42. Alex Barton and Dan Cox each took two wickets.
Ventnor were given a terrific start in pursuit of their target with impressive contributions from teenagers Ross Whyte (52) and Dan Cox (41). Mark Fletcher (44), Marcus Horton (35) Morgan Perrin (31) and skipper Ali Cotton (19) carried on the spirited run chase, only for the side to fall just two runs short of a welcome win in an exciting finish.
Six a side this Sunday at Steephill
Ventnor are staging a 6 a side competition on Sunday from 12 noon as part of the England Wales Cricket Board’s Cricket Club Open Day initiative. Waitrose have also provided their backing to the initiative and will be providing the Club with food on the day.
Ventnor are hoping at least six teams will take part and would welcome participation from other Clubs.
For further information, please contact Graeme Burnett on 07764 405023.
Image: samhames under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license
